In a landmark ruling, the final member of the infamous 'Stockwell Six' has had his conviction overturned after nearly 50 years. The case, which dates back to 1972, involved six young Black men wrongfully accused of attempting to rob a corrupt police officer at Stockwell Tube station in London.
A Decades-Long Fight for Justice
The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction of Courtney Harriot, now 65, bringing closure to one of Britain's most notorious miscarriages of justice. Harriot, who was just 17 at the time of his arrest, always maintained his innocence.
'This is the moment I've waited for my whole adult life,' Harriot said outside the Royal Courts of Justice. 'No one believed us back then, but we never gave up hope.'
Corruption at the Heart of the Case
The convictions relied heavily on evidence from Detective Sergeant Derek Ridgewell, who was later jailed for theft in an unrelated case. Ridgewell, who died in prison in 1982, was known for targeting young Black men in similar 'mugging' cases during the 1970s.
'This case exposes the institutional racism that plagued British policing in that era,' said Harriot's solicitor. 'It's never too late to put right a terrible wrong.'
The Stockwell Six's Legacy
Five of the six men had their convictions overturned in 2019, but Harriot's case took longer as he had moved to Jamaica shortly after his release from prison. The Criminal Cases Review Commission eventually referred his case back to the Court of Appeal.
Legal experts say this ruling sends a powerful message about historical injustices in Britain's legal system and may pave the way for other similar cases to be reviewed.
